Pictured above: Moderator, Eric Nadel, with Keynote Speaker, Drew Robinson, and his service canine, Ellie.
By Juliette Coulter | Contributor
Grant Halliburton Basis hosted its sixteenth annual Beacon of Hope Group Luncheon on March 25 on the Omni Dallas Resort. Practically 600 friends gathered in assist of the Basis’s mission, serving to to boost $300,000 for youth psychological well being and suicide prevention packages throughout North Texas.
The morning started with a vibrant welcome reception that includes music by DJ Lucy Wrubel, a celebratory champagne wall, and quite a lot of partaking activations. Friends shared messages of encouragement on the “Submit Your Hope” wall, and hung out with service canines in coaching, Eric and Elvis, courtesy of Patriot Paws.
The 2025 luncheon started with a efficiency of A Million Goals by Syncopation, the a cappella choir from Plano West Senior Excessive College—alma mater of Grant Halliburton, the Basis’s namesake.
Friends had been welcomed by Jenny Anchondo, host and producer of CW33’s Inside DFW, who served as Grasp of Ceremonies. Luncheon chairs Chris and Brent Bolding expressed their heartfelt due to the Grant Halliburton Basis employees, committee members and volunteers, in addition to luncheon vice chairs Amy and Michael Roseman, and founding luncheon chair Barb Farmer.
Amy Halliburton McCloskey, co-founder of the Basis, then offered her mom, Vanita Halliburton, co-founder and chairman emeritus of the Basis, with the 2025 Beacon Award. In an emotional tribute, Amy spoke about her brother Grant, whose demise in 2005 led to the founding of the group, and the lasting legacy her mom constructed to assist youth psychological well being. “My mother knew she needed to do one thing in his reminiscence to save lots of different households from the tragedy of suicide and assist them get the assets they so desperately want. She, my dad, Alan, and I co-founded Grant Halliburton Basis in 2006 and got down to just do that—to assist as many younger individuals and their households as doable to search out assist, hope and peace of thoughts.”
A tribute video honored Vanita’s management in elevating consciousness and altering the dialog round psychological well being in North Texas. Together with her father, Alan Halliburton, by her aspect, McCloskey took the stage to current her with the 2025 Beacon Award—now renamed the Vanita Halliburton Beacon Award in her honor. Vanita acquired a standing ovation from the viewers in recognition of her legacy and impression.
“Vanita, your imaginative and prescient has formed not solely this group, but in addition the lives of numerous individuals who will really feel your impression each single day. Due to you, WE are Grant Halliburton Basis.”
Kevin Corridor, President, Grant Halliburton Basis
Vanita then talked about Grant, and supplied these notable reminiscences:
· “As a teen, he as soon as spent his whole financial savings ($65) on groceries for a good friend’s single mother battling most cancers and having monetary troubles.
· One other time, he jumped off the varsity bus to collect a boy’s crutch that some pranksters had thrown out the window. Then he ran between homes to hop again on that bus.” (She used that analogy about leaping off the bus to assist others who need assistance—college students, academics, dad and mom, employees, moms, fathers by stating, “Generally, you must soar off the bus to return alongside those that need assistance, info, and assets.”
The Basis’s mission video performed subsequent, adopted by remarks from Kevin Corridor, president of Grant Halliburton Basis. He reminded the viewers that hope is on the coronary heart of all of the Basis does. “We aren’t simply an workplace or a employees. We’re a motion—a collective pressure of educators, dad and mom, college students, volunteers and advocates who imagine that psychological well being ought to by no means be an afterthought.” He added, “Vanita, your imaginative and prescient has formed not solely this group, but in addition the lives of numerous individuals who will really feel your impression each single day. Due to you, WEare Grant Halliburton Basis.”
The ultimate video shared the Boldings’ story and their journey following the lack of their daughter, Eleanor. “We’re fairly positive that each particular person on this room is aware of somebody scuffling with melancholy, nervousness, and even suicidal ideas. Please take a second to remind them that they aren’t alone. There may be assist. There may be hope,” Brent stated. They requested for individuals to generously donate to cease the lack of lives.
Eric Nadel, Texas Rangers Radio Broadcaster, launched a video that shared Drew Robinson’s story. In 2020, Robinson, then a Main League Baseball participant, miraculously survived a suicide try, leading to a new-found objective of serving to others and destigmatizing psychological well being. After taking part in 12 seasons {of professional} baseball, he retired following the 2021 season to pursue a full-time position as a psychological well being advocate, the primary of its variety in MLB. Leveraging his tagline, Power Isn’t All the time Bodily®, Robinson is devoted to sharing his journey and showcasing vulnerability to forestall suicide and promote psychological well being care.
“Be glad about the little issues. Discuss it (melancholy, nervousness) and get it off your chest.”
Eric Nadel, Texas Rangers Radio Broadcaster
Nadel served because the moderator. Following are some takeaways from their dialog:
Ideas and Melancholy:
· Robinson: “Your thoughts is your servant, not your grasp. Use our minds to serve us, not tear us down. We management our minds (meditation helps).”
· Nadel: “Select the ideas which can be significant to you. Having gone by way of the black gap myself, it’s like your mind cells have gone uncontrolled.”
· Robinson: “I used to be feeling so off, so I acquired examined, and it was regular. I used to be the final particular person I used to be serious about. I took care of issues, and I used to be considering of my household. Individuals don’t pretend being depressed. They pretend being okay.”
Robinson’s Service Canine:
Robinson: “Ellie (his eight-year-old service canine) is a significant antidepressant.”
Psychological Well being Advocate:
After Robinson’s suicide try, he pitched with one good eye for the San Francisco Giants. His scenario opened quite a lot of doorways together with his teammates to have discussions of psychological well being and melancholy. The Giants noticed that and supplied him a possibility to be an advocate off the sphere. He remarked that it’s been “a really fulfilling position.”
Gratitude:
Robinson: “I’m grateful I survived. I’m utilizing this horrible determination to assist others.”
Nadel: “Be glad about the little issues. Discuss it (melancholy, nervousness) and get it off your chest.”
“I’m grateful I survived. I’m utilizing this horrible determination to assist others.
Drew Robinson
Nadel requested, “Why do you suppose you survived?” Robinson replied, “As a result of I’m supposed to assist individuals.”
Robinson’s trifecta to sustaining his psychological well being:
Common train, remedy and journaling.
About Grant Halliburton Basis
Grant Halliburton Basis was established in 2006 in reminiscence of a Dallas teen who battled melancholy and bipolar dysfunction for a number of years earlier than his suicide demise on the age of 19. The Basis that bears his title works to assist households and younger individuals acknowledge the indicators of psychological sickness by way of quite a lot of avenues together with schooling, conferences, collaboration and encouragement. Since 2006, the Basis has supplied psychological well being schooling, coaching and assist to greater than 350,000 college students, educators, dad and mom and professionals. The Basis additionally presents Right here For Texas, which incorporates HereForTexas.com and the Right here For Texas Psychological Well being Navigation Line. These free neighborhood instruments goal to supply easy accessibility for North Texans looking for psychological well being and dependancy info and assets. Be taught extra in regards to the Basis at GrantHalliburton.org.
Picture Credit score: Simon Luna
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